handy
Member
As most of you know, I used to be a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and my husband and I decided to leave the ELCA and join the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod when the ELCA took the step of allowing for the ordination of openly gay and lesbian ministers. While the decision was hard as far as interpersonal relationships are concerned, we haven't regretted the move at all, and I actually LOVE the LCMS so, so much!!!!
The thing is, my in-laws are still very much involved in the ELCA...OK...that's their decision. I trust that the Holy Spirit will work in their own hearts to convict them as He sees fit. My prayer for them is as always, that they will walk according to the leading of the Lord.
For the past 6 years, I have regularly gone to the ELCA women's retreat at beautiful Luther Heights Bible Camp in the awesome Sawtooth Mountains. I truly look forward to going because camp is never really about doctrine or hard issues. We do have women speakers which tend to lead the sort of workshops that women really like (think lots of Kleenex) which would make men's (even my "Sound of Music" loving husband) eyes glaze over. Mostly, Ladies Retreat is about getting away from the house and home for the weekend, having the cooking and cleaning done by others and seeing friends from all around Idaho that we only get to see once a year at Ladies Retreat. I've always enjoyed going.
Until this year.
For some reason, the church which was responsible for scheduling the speaker scheduled a metaphysical Buddhist, who believes in reincarnation, body energy, and all kinds of "out there" stuff. She kept repeating, and got a few others to chime in..."It all comes from god."
Well, excuse me, but it does NOT "all come from god". I left the first workshop when she started leading us through a "guided meditation/prayer" filled with all kinds of metaphysical images. I decided that a brisk walk through the Sawtooth Mountains would be much more meaningful to my body and soul.
I did get back before the end of the next session, which was right before lunch and I did sit down next to my m-i-l, basically to let her know that I was back safe and sound (there are indeed bears in dem dar woods, not to mention cougars, wolves and other predators). Unfortunately, in the last 10 minutes of the workshop, she handed out to everyone this:
And she told everyone that this was a translation of the Lord's Prayer from the original Aramic. Yeah. Sadly, I think some of my more foolish sisters up there actually bought that bovine excrement. :bigfrown
I was finished with any of the stuff the speaker had to offer, and hey, y'all are probably familiar enough with me to know that I was completely free and honest in my opinion of it, especially the quote/unquote "lord's prayer". I did NOT go to the worship service this morning, as she was to give the message.
On our way home, all of us women from the church I used to attend stopped for lunch. While there, one of the women asked me my opinion of the speaker and, again, I wasn't shy about letting them know that if a woman is going to a Christian Ladies Retreat at a BIBLE Camp, they should reasonably expect a CHRISTIAN experience!!!!!!!! In the course of our conversation, one of my friends stated, "Well, she did bring God into it." My response was..."Girls, I wasn't there for most of the time. I ask that you think this through: Did she bring "god" into it, or did she bring Christ into it. Because "god" can be anything. Anything at all." They were all silent for a bit and finally one said, "She kept saying "god". She never referred to Christ." The others agreed, and they all were taken aback by the fact. I am happy to say that I did see conviction dawn in my friend's faces. I was also relieved that my mother-in-law was also in agreement with me. I'm not going to judge the others for sitting through it, or going to what should have been a worship of our Savior but wasn't this morning. It didn't bother me to walk out, but then, it's no longer my church. I know that for those who are still part of that denomination, it can be a tough road to walk.
The whole atmosphere up there was just completely different. Usually Friday night is the night we all stay up late. After the evening meal and mixer, we all sit around in the Lodge, catching up with each other after the year, playing games, chatting, stuffing ourselves on all the goodies that everyone brings. This year the only ones to play a game were those of us from Grace HsB (my former church). Nobody else would join in. Then, when the three of us who were staying in the same cabin together got back to said cabin, we found out that two of our other bunk-mates were off to join a drinking party. Now, I don't really have anything personal against drinking alcohol, but I'm not taking a wine tasting evening. I'm talking whiskey and mixers and the two coming back well after midnight, giggling, stumbling drunk. They did the same thing last night as well.
Next year, Grace HsB is set to select the speaker and host the retreat. This basically means that my mother-in-law and I are going to be doing most of the work. I truly hope that we can turn this around and bring Christ back into the Ladies Retreat. If it's just too far gone, if the Spirit simply has removed the lampstand, then I guess that's the end of my favorite yearly weekend trip. But...there are still a lot of solid Christians in the ELCA...there really is. I do hope and pray that this weekend, as awful as it was, will serve as a wake-up call for the Christian women there.
The thing is, my in-laws are still very much involved in the ELCA...OK...that's their decision. I trust that the Holy Spirit will work in their own hearts to convict them as He sees fit. My prayer for them is as always, that they will walk according to the leading of the Lord.
For the past 6 years, I have regularly gone to the ELCA women's retreat at beautiful Luther Heights Bible Camp in the awesome Sawtooth Mountains. I truly look forward to going because camp is never really about doctrine or hard issues. We do have women speakers which tend to lead the sort of workshops that women really like (think lots of Kleenex) which would make men's (even my "Sound of Music" loving husband) eyes glaze over. Mostly, Ladies Retreat is about getting away from the house and home for the weekend, having the cooking and cleaning done by others and seeing friends from all around Idaho that we only get to see once a year at Ladies Retreat. I've always enjoyed going.
Until this year.
For some reason, the church which was responsible for scheduling the speaker scheduled a metaphysical Buddhist, who believes in reincarnation, body energy, and all kinds of "out there" stuff. She kept repeating, and got a few others to chime in..."It all comes from god."
Well, excuse me, but it does NOT "all come from god". I left the first workshop when she started leading us through a "guided meditation/prayer" filled with all kinds of metaphysical images. I decided that a brisk walk through the Sawtooth Mountains would be much more meaningful to my body and soul.
I did get back before the end of the next session, which was right before lunch and I did sit down next to my m-i-l, basically to let her know that I was back safe and sound (there are indeed bears in dem dar woods, not to mention cougars, wolves and other predators). Unfortunately, in the last 10 minutes of the workshop, she handed out to everyone this:
And she told everyone that this was a translation of the Lord's Prayer from the original Aramic. Yeah. Sadly, I think some of my more foolish sisters up there actually bought that bovine excrement. :bigfrown
I was finished with any of the stuff the speaker had to offer, and hey, y'all are probably familiar enough with me to know that I was completely free and honest in my opinion of it, especially the quote/unquote "lord's prayer". I did NOT go to the worship service this morning, as she was to give the message.
On our way home, all of us women from the church I used to attend stopped for lunch. While there, one of the women asked me my opinion of the speaker and, again, I wasn't shy about letting them know that if a woman is going to a Christian Ladies Retreat at a BIBLE Camp, they should reasonably expect a CHRISTIAN experience!!!!!!!! In the course of our conversation, one of my friends stated, "Well, she did bring God into it." My response was..."Girls, I wasn't there for most of the time. I ask that you think this through: Did she bring "god" into it, or did she bring Christ into it. Because "god" can be anything. Anything at all." They were all silent for a bit and finally one said, "She kept saying "god". She never referred to Christ." The others agreed, and they all were taken aback by the fact. I am happy to say that I did see conviction dawn in my friend's faces. I was also relieved that my mother-in-law was also in agreement with me. I'm not going to judge the others for sitting through it, or going to what should have been a worship of our Savior but wasn't this morning. It didn't bother me to walk out, but then, it's no longer my church. I know that for those who are still part of that denomination, it can be a tough road to walk.
The whole atmosphere up there was just completely different. Usually Friday night is the night we all stay up late. After the evening meal and mixer, we all sit around in the Lodge, catching up with each other after the year, playing games, chatting, stuffing ourselves on all the goodies that everyone brings. This year the only ones to play a game were those of us from Grace HsB (my former church). Nobody else would join in. Then, when the three of us who were staying in the same cabin together got back to said cabin, we found out that two of our other bunk-mates were off to join a drinking party. Now, I don't really have anything personal against drinking alcohol, but I'm not taking a wine tasting evening. I'm talking whiskey and mixers and the two coming back well after midnight, giggling, stumbling drunk. They did the same thing last night as well.
Next year, Grace HsB is set to select the speaker and host the retreat. This basically means that my mother-in-law and I are going to be doing most of the work. I truly hope that we can turn this around and bring Christ back into the Ladies Retreat. If it's just too far gone, if the Spirit simply has removed the lampstand, then I guess that's the end of my favorite yearly weekend trip. But...there are still a lot of solid Christians in the ELCA...there really is. I do hope and pray that this weekend, as awful as it was, will serve as a wake-up call for the Christian women there.
Do everything you can to get a grounded Christian speaker for next year, but if they will have non of it then I would let that be the last time I went. If they are so bent on distorting Truth, there's not much else you can do but shake the dust from your shoes 
